Say hello to composable architecture and so long to DXP

I recently had the opportunity to attend several sessions at a MACH Alliance event and, unsurprisingly, much of the talk was around the value of having less of a reliance on monolithic enterprise technology suites. This is because the MACH Alliance (MACH stands for: Microservices, API first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless) is all about using best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems so that businesses can adapt and change things up to meet their evolving business requirements.

One panel discussion in particular really stood out for me. When talking about this topic and the rise of composable architecture, one of the panelists stressed that it’s important to consider about the “why”. Why are more and more people thinking about moving away from using a single vendor to provide them either with a collection of products or a single product with various features?

And the answer, he explained, is that people are starting to get tired and frustrated with the merry-go-round that is software upgrades – which cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. And developers no longer want to be handcuffed to one thing and have to follow very restrictive and inflexible ways of working, he continued.

Variety is the spice of (a developer’s) life

This year, Gartner predicts that the organisations that have adopted an intelligent composable approach will implement new features 80% faster than their competitors. That’s a pretty high percentage. Think about how much more your development teams can get done if they’re able to work 80% faster. And how much happier they’ll be because they are more productive and efficient. Pulling more insights from this particular panel discussion, here are a few reasons why composable is a good idea.

The right tool for the right job

If I told you that you had to commit to a single utensil for the rest of your life, I’m going to guess that meal times could get a little tricky. Try cutting a tomato with a spoon or eating spoon with a fork. In this case, and in the case of software development, why would you use the wrong tool for the job if there are other, more suitable, tools out there. Different tools suited to different tasks. Composable gives devs the freedom to choose.

Innovation unlocked

In 2023, there will be a lot of focus on big and bold innovations – think VR, the metaverse and AI taking centre stage. In order for brands, and developers, to make the most of these innovations and meet customers’ expectations, they have to use the best of the best. And they also need to be able to adapt and switch things out when something new – and more suitable or better – comes along. And when brands have the opportunity to play around, they can create unique and innovative brand experiences that make them stand out from their competitors.

There is no right and wrong

When it comes to composable architecture, no one is going to approach a problem in the same way and that’s what makes it so unique. If you have the option to pick from such a wide range of solutions, there are countless methods and combinations that brands can use to power their projects and really great solutions that meet their specific needs.

Community spirit

The above point being said, the early adopters of this approach have learned a lot about what does and doesn’t work and they’re willing to share their experiences so that others don’t make similar mistakes. This is the value of being part of a community like MACH.

You have options if something does go wrong

In the event that something doesn’t go according to plan, you’re not tied to a lengthy contract and you don’t have to stick it out for months until you can implement an alternative. The beauty of composable architecture is that you can easily swap things out and change things up, so you have the freedom to experiment and play around until the mix of solutions meets your specific requirements.

Why not?

Why would you choose to only have a fork if you could use a broad range of highly specialised tools? Wouldn’t you want to use a bread knife to slice that loaf of fresh bread or a corkscrew to open that bottle of red wine? If you have the option to have more options, why not take it?

We’ve embraced composable architecture because it offers us the freedom to design the digital experience platforms our customers want and need, using the solutions best suited to the job. Keen to find our more about how composable architecture could transform your next digital project? Get in touch.